Everyone by now knows that the Atlanta Braves are looking to lock down the shortstop position heading into the 2026 season. While the ideal solution would likely be keeping Ha-Seong Kim around, that is far from a guarantee to happen with the allure of free agent dollars and with Scott Boras being Kim's agent. Unfortunately, the offseason shortstop market is pretty shallow beyond Kim, although one potential free agent shortstop could make things a lot more interesting.
After a very successful six year stint with the Rockies where he forged a reputation as one of MLB's top shortstops, Trevor Story signed a six year, $140 million deal with the Red Sox that included an opt-out after the 2025 season. Before the 2025 season, it was unthinkable that Story would opt out given how much time that he has lost to injuries in Boston including Tommy John surgery in 2023.
However, after a strong 2025 campaign has changed the decision calculus a good bit and there is a real argument for Story to test free agency with the lack of viable shortstops available. If Story does decide to test the open market, the Braves need to be involved.
Trevor Story could be an intriguing dark horse option for the Braves at shortstop...but only if he opts out
Ignoring Story's extensive injury history (which is genuinely concerning) for a moment, he looked quite good for most of this past season. In 157 games for the Red Sox, Story slashed .263/.308/.433 with 25 homers and 31 stolen bases. While his production fell short of his peak years in Colorado, he was still very good and may be able to beat the two years and $50 million left on his current deal.
However, Story does come with some risk and that absolutely has to be priced in. After all, Story did miss most of 2023 and 2024 first with elbow surgery and then shoulder surgery to fix a break that occurred as he was trying to return. You combine those injuries with the fact that Story put up -9 Outs Above Average on defense this season and you have some real red flags.
At a certain price point, Story would make sense for the Braves. However, that price point which would make sense for the Braves may be considerably lower than what he is getting in terms of AAV from the Red Sox and Story is certainly going to be looking to beat his current deal if he opts out. There are other options beyond Kim that could fit the Braves' needs better and without such a big payroll hit. However, the odds that Story could be on Atlanta's radar are a lot better than they were a few months ago when it was unlikely he would even be available.